Watford 1 Wolves 2 – Report and pictures

After both sides exchanged good chances Jimenez broke the deadlock just before half-time, heading home Diogo Jota's pinpoint cross.

Andre Gray equalised just after the break following a howler from Ryan Bennett who gifted the ball to Gerard Deulofeu, but Jota won it late on when he took advantage of Ben Foster's error to slam home Ruben Neves' cross.

Analysis

Twenty days doesn't exactly render this particular dish cold, but revenge was still oh-so sweet for Wolves.

They struck a potentially decisive blow in the 'battle for seventh' with a gutsy win to exact some retribution three weeks after their Wembley nightmare, writes Tim Spiers at Vicarage Road.

Let it never be said that this Wolves team lacks character. They possess it by the bucketload and have responded admirably in this, their litmus test of a week as they look to secure potential European football at Molineux for the first time in almost four decades.

There was despondency after the defeat to Southampton and the draw against Brighton. Following big, big wins over Arsenal and Watford there is euphoria again and deep, deep pride at this team's success.

Whatever happens in the last two matches it's been a wonderful, never-to-be-forgotten season.

But with a game against already-relegated Fulham to come at Molineux next week, albeit a Fulham who've won three on the spin, what a fantastic opportunity they have to put the icing on this golden cake and finish 'best of the rest', before praying Manchester City can do them a favour and open a door to Europe.

They were gutsy here. Nuno forever talks of needing to 'compete' in every game and boy did they have to do that against a pumped-up Watford team. There was plenty of needle in this one, on and off the pitch, but Nuno's team stood their ground and gained a foothold, allowing their quality to shine through, especially via the prolific Jota and Jimenez who yet again both got on the scoresheet.

There were huge efforts all over the field though. Jonny and Doherty rampaged down the flanks, the midfield trio did as good as they have against the troublesome Hornets this season, Coady and Boly were excellent and Bennett, despite his clumsy error, had earlier saved a potential goal with an excellent challenge on the pesky Deulofeu.

It was via Jota and Jimenez that they won it, though. The best Wolves pairing since Bull and Mutch? That's an argument for the pub tomorrow afternoon but in terms of quality they're up there with the best Wolves have had. They're a force to be reckoned with, they know each other's games inside out and they're working beautifully in tandem.

If they continue this form next season, who knows where they can take Wolves.

As for the here and now, seventh will do just nicely.

Match report

Nuno didn't alter the starting XI or the subs from the team that had beaten Arsenal 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Watford were without the suspended Troy Deeney – who stuck by his comments about Raul Jimenez's mask in his pre-match programme notes – so Gerard Deulofeu partnered Wolverhampton-born Andre Gray up front.

The teams came into the game separated by just a point and had played out two very even games, especially at Wembley just 20 days earlier.

So it was absolutely no surprise that there was barely anything to choose between the sides in a tight first half, played out in a fraught atmosphere both on and off the pitch.

Players from both teams were leaving in boots here and there – while in the stands there were plenty of Wembley songs from the home fans – and also a chant of "where's your f*****g mask?" to Jimenez.

There was barely any goalmouth action in the first 20 minutes. It wasn't dull by any means but the two teams were cancelling each other out.

Ruben Neves crunched Wembley match-winner Deulofeu with a fair ball-winning tackle which left the Spaniard limping, but he was soon to burst into life and cause Wolves a number of problems.

He had the game's first real opportunity when he was played in behind Boly but, to the delight of the travelling supporters behind that goal, he fell over and scuffed his shot from 15 yards.

Then Wolves broke at pace, predictably via the superb Jota who took on two players and slotted to the overlapping Dendoncker on the right – he played across the six-yard box for Jimenez, but the Mexican couldn't quite connect properly and Capoue blocked and cleared. It was a golden chance.

The menacing Deulofeu then burst through the heart of the Wolves defence and looked set to fire goalwards, before Ryan Bennett stole the ball off his toes in the nick of time.

From the resulting corner it really should have been 1-0 to the hosts but Will Hughes sent a free header over the bar from just four yards after Wolves failed to clear.

The game was opening up now – and Wolves struck just before half-time in clinical fashion.

After superb work from the excellent Otto and Neves in the build-up, keeping play alive, Jota whipped a perfect cross towards his strike partner Jimenez and he made absolutely no mistake with a planted six-yard header past Ben Foster. There was no mask this time but the striker pointed to his name in front of the Watford supporters after netting his 13th of the season in the league, a Premier League record for a Wolves player.

With a good half's work under their belt Wolves will have been hoping to keep things steady and calm at the start of the second period and quell any Watford momentum. Instead they gift-wrapped an equalising goal to the Hornets.

Just four minutes into the half Bennett sent a pass back to his own goal, not spotting the lurking Deulofeu. Patricio did well to smother at his feet but Gray was there to smash into the net from the edge of the area, past a helpless Boly on the line. It was a kamikaze mistake.

Wolves responded well, with Jota heading Doherty's whipped cross over from six yards, before Doherty shanked at the ball from Foster's unconvincing clearance. Jota then sent another teasing cross towards Dendoncker, arriving late, but it just evaded the Belgian international.

With 20 minutes remaining it was on a knife edge with both sides searching for a winner. Coady threw himself at the ball to block a well-struck Hughes shot, while a Moutinho boomer from range deflected just over at the other end.

It was too close to call...but then Wolves struck again with just 12 minutes left.

Neves swung over a cross from deep to the back post where a flailing Foster missed the ball and Jota guided a cracking finish into the net to send the 2,200 away supporters into ecstasy.

Patricio's goal wasn't seriously troubled in the closing stages or five minutes of stoppages time, with Wolves defending with organisation and calm. Jota surely should have earned a penalty when being taken down by Kabasele late on with the Watford man not winning the ball.

But it mattered not. What a win. "We're all going on a European tour" the away fans sang at full-time. Wolves are a step closer to doing just that.

Teams

Watford (4-2-2-2): Foster; Femenia, Cathcart (Success, 82), Mariappa (c), Holebas; Doucoure, Capoue; Hughes (Kabasele, 74), Pereyra; Gray, Deulofeu. Subs: Gomes, Janmaat, Mesina, Sema, Chalobah.

Goal: Gray (49)

Wolves (3-5-2): Patricio; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Dendoncker, Otto; Jimenez (Cavaleiro, 87), Jota (Gibbs-White, 90+7). Subs: Ruddy, Saiss, Vinagre, Costa, Traore.

Goals: Jimenez (41), Jota (78)

Referee: Simon Hooper

League position

7th (54 points from 36 matches)

Next up

Wolves host Fulham in their final home game of the season, next Saturday at 3pm.